Record assembling and display device



S. OLOP.

RECORD ASSEMBLING AND DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED lULY 14.1920.

1,402,009, Patented Jan. 3,1922...

Uhli STATE-ES (SI-A o STEPHEN 0150?, 01' DENVER, COLORADO.

RECORD ASSEMBLING AND DISR JAY DEVICE.

LettiZfiGt).

Application filed July 1 1,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN Own, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of 0010- rado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Record Assembling and Display Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to record assembling and display devices and, sore particularly, to contrivances of this nature so constituted as to assemble individual correlated or coordinated records, graphic units, such as" bookkeeping, address, or catalogue inscriptions, or other indicia in convenient order for rapid inspection of any desired record or group of records, and to readily find and present for inspection the particular unit or class of units desired at any moment.

The aim and object of this invention is principally to provide a device of this character which will facilitate a ready and speedy assembling of record units and also the ready removal of any unit or its replacement by another or others and also the quick insertion of any desired additional unit or units at any point of the assemblage, while at the same time securing the said assemblage against disarrangement.

My invention also has in 'iew to furnish a record assemblage so constituted as to present as desired an entire class of record or indicia units at one time, consistent with compact storage of the record units and with occupying a minimum of space.

To attain these objects my invention comprises a record carrier or band formed of a plurality of carrier sections, each of which sections is removably connected at one edge or other indicia may be marked or inscribed on or mounted or secured to each section.

These carrier sections when united as above, form a continuous carrier, ribbon or web, bearing a record formed of a series of united and coordinated record units and, ac-

Specincation of Letters Eatent.

Patentedd an. 3, 1922. 1920. Serial in). 398,248.

mg the connected record sections are each 7 mounted on two rollers so as to be'unwound from one roller on to the other and vice versa, in order to bring the desired record unit or units to the inspection point or opposite a display opening. In some cases, where the number of separate entries are comparatively small,'a single carrier will suffice to store and display all the necessary units of a record.

The sections of the carrier constituting the record units may be removable or seoarably connected, as indicated above, in a gi eat variety of ways. I prefer to interlink them by providing each section with a spring orresilient tongue, adapted to engage a catch, socket or other receiving part in the adjacent section. Preferably these spring tongue connections are so arranged that a spring tongue is arranged at opposite edges of a section and at diagonally opposite points, sockets or tongue receiving parts being provided at tie two ends of the other diagonal. Any section can thus be united to the preceding and the following section by inserting the tongue at each edge into the corresponding sockets or receivers on the adjoining edges of the adjoining sections.

My invention also contemplates mounting a number of such composite record carriers parallel on a single roller or support and grouping the records, alphabetically or according to topics transversely or laterally on the parallel belts or carriers. Thereby an entire class or group can be brought to the inspection point by one movement of the roller or support.

Other features of the invention will be described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a record display apparatus embodying one way of carrying out my invention;

Figure 2, a perspective view of the same, on a reduced scale;

Figure 3, a partial transverse vertical section of same; H

Figure at, a detached view of one of the carrier rollers with the carriers; Figure P, a similar view, somewhat modified in arrangement, 7

Figure 5, a face View of an enlarged scale of a port-ion of the record carrier or belt forming part of same;

Figure 6, a similar View of one section of said carrier on a more enlarged scale;

Figures 7 and 8, a longitudinal and a transverse section of said section on lines 7 7 and 8-,-8, respectively;

Figure 9, a detail view in perspective of the separable joint or connectingdevice between two adjoining carrier sections;

Figure 10, a similar detail view of a some what modified form of connecting tongue;

Figures 11 and 12, a face view and a section, respectively, of a modified form of separable connection;

Figures 13 and 14-, another modification;

Figures 15 and 1c, face views of two further modifications;

)erspective of sin'iilar views of Figure 17, a detail view in 1' the modification in the latter view.

Figure 18, a perspective view of a table equipped with an assembling and display .device according to my invention.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, it will be observed that the apparatus therein disclosed comprises a casing A, within which are mounted two rollers or reels (1, a. A number of record carriers B in the form of webs or ribbons is secured at each end to one of these rollers, respectively, so that the carriers may be unwound from one of the rollers to the other, and vice versa. An intermediate portion of the carriers B passes over idlers G, G, so as to be brought into position directly behind an inspection opening C of the casing A, and I prefer to make the interval between the idler-s and length of the inspection opening sulliciently lawn to expose a considerable number of records or entries on the record carriers, comprising for example an entire group or class of such records. The inspection opening is in the example shown closedby a cover a hinged at 0 provided with a transparent window 0 and adapted to be swung open to obtain access to the interior of the casing, by grasping the handle 0*.

The record carriers B are shown detached with one of the rollers a in Figure 4:, and a portion of the length of one of these carriers is represented in Figure 5 of the drawing. From the latter figure it will be seen that the record carrier B consists of a plurality of carrier sections, 5, removably united inseries. or end to end by separable couplers or connecting devices which I will now describe in detail, special reference the 2 permit the ready withdrawal or removal of being made for this purpose to Figures 6 to 9 in addition to Figure 5..

Figures 6 to 8'show one of the carrier sections 1) detached.- It is preferably made of sheet material, such as textile material, paper, leatherette, or the like, in rectangular or other convenient or required shape, as, shown, or it may be made of sheet metal, preferably thin and flexible. At the two opposite sides it'is folded over to form pockets, 6 b for thereception of the ends of removable record or indicator or other strips. The transverse edges Z2 b of the section b arestitl'ened by strips 5 b of sheet material, such as sheet metal, whichSO strips are secured to the material of the section, by triangular claws or rivets Z) punched out of the body of the strips 6 and thrust through to protrude beyond the material of the section Z), and then bent over on the same or clinched, as best shown in Figures 6 and 8.

Each strip terminates at one end in a reversely bent tongue 6 spaced somewhat apart from the edge of the section and parallel thereto. Said tongue is provided at its outer surface with a protuberance or wart b. At the other end, each strip is provided, with a catch 5 for the tongue of an adjacent section, said catch, as shown, best in Figure 9, which is detail view of the parts seen from below,being formed in theshape of hou 's. ing to receive the tongue, said housing being punched out'and struck up from the material of the strip 5 y I i As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the two tongues b on each section are arranged diagonally on the same and the catches for the same occupy positions on the other diagonal of the section. it will also be noted that one of the tongues b is somewhat longer than the other on the same section From the foregoing, the mode of attach ment of one record section to the one which it is to adjoin is apparent. The longer of the two diagonally situated tongues Z) on the one section is first inserted into the corresponding catch 6 on the other section until the opening of the catch 5 on the first section reaches the end of the tongue on the second section, whereupon the first section is pushed forward in the same direction until the two tongues are brought home in the corresponding catches andthe protuberanoe Z) of each tongue is seated in or has sprung into the corresponding recess of its catch.

Since the tongues b and the catch 6 are i made from thin sheet-material, having a certain degree of resiliency they combine to form a spring catch or connection, which offers'suliicient resistance to accidental disengagement and displacement of the connected sections, while, at the same time, they 1 3 O what modified form of the tongue 6 one record section from the adjoining one, whenever the occasion arises. 1

The removal of any section from between two sections on the record carrier to which it is connected by the couplers or connecting devices thus described is also readily effected. For this purpose the tension on the record carrier is somewhat relaxed, and then the tongue and catch at one edge of the section can be withdrawn frointhe catch and tongue, respectively, of theadjoining section, the relaxed belt or carrier yielding laterally sufficiently for this purpose. The tongue and catch on the other edge of the section may then be readily withdrawn from the catch and tongue, respectively, of the second adjoining section, as will be readily understood. Obviously, the insertion of a section into the series between any two adjoining sections, may be as readily effected by a reverse manipulation. Where the sections are of very pliable material such removal or interpolation of a section from or into the series may be carried out with still greater facility, as will be understood.

By arranging the two tongues on each section diagonally with respect to one another, the catches occupying the remaining two corners of the said section, the advantage is obtained that all the sections are interchangeable and where they are all of the same width and length, they are identical in form and arrangement. Thereby the cost of manufacture is reduced.

A further advantage arising from this diagonal arrangement of the tongues and, consequently of the catches, is that the tension on the carrier or web will prevent any tendency to displacement or disengagement of one section with respect to its adjoining sections, because any tendency of one tongue on a section to leave its catch would, so long as the carrier is aligned along its length, be counteracted and resisted by the other tongue on the same section.

In Figure 10, I have represented a somleis there shown as provided with an intermediate corrugation 6 which may slip past the catch 6 of Figure 9 or be held within the same by friction due to the spring action of the parts, according to the relative location of the serted.

In Figures 11 and 12, a carrier section is shown which differs in the following respects from that just described. The transverse edges are in this modification not provided with separate stifiening strips but they are folded over or hemmed, the hems 6 being secured to the body of the section by a row of stitching b Diagonal tongues 6 Z), are also provided in this modification, said tongues forming part of a piece of wire bent intoU-shape, the longer leg parts, when tongue is intongue consists in the sleeve formed by the hem 6 into which the tongue of the adjoining section is inserted, being held in place therein by the friction and the resili cut action of the corrugatedtongue when in place in the sleeve. In other respectsthe operation and arrangement of the parts is the same as already described in connection with the construction represented in Fig ures 5 to 10. i a

In the modification shown in Figures 13 and 1e, which is adapted particularly to carrier sections possessing a certain degree of flexibility, the materialis again hemmed at the edges at 6 In this form the connecting tongues Z2 5 are not placed diag onally, but both at the same edge of the sec tion, and at the ends of said edge, so that both extend inwardly and parallel to the edge as shown. These tongues are again .shown as corrugated or' undulating and they constitute the ends of the doubly bent resilient wire I) whose intermediate length 6 lies under the hem, 6 thereby stiffening one edge of the section. To cause these coupling tongues 6 I) to engage the adjoining section, the adjoining edge of the latter is bent, sprung or arched until both openings of the sleeve formed by the hem are opposite and in line with both tongues, whereupon the latter can be readily inserted into the sleeve by straightening out the section or allowing it to resiune its fiat condition. Or, first one tongue is inserted into the corresponding opening of the sleeve and then by properly bending the section, the other tongue can be inserted into the other opening.

Still further separable or detachable coupling means are represented in Figure 15 and Figures 16 and '17, respectively. In the form shown in Figure 15, two resilient corrugated tongues 79 are formed at the ends of a wire 6 the intermediate portion of which is secured to one lateral edge of section 6, under the lap of pocket '1) by sewing or otherwise. In this instance the transverse edges of the section b are again reinforced by hemming the same so as to leave a sleeve or socket 6 for the reception of the resilient coupling tongues of the adjoining sections. The pair of tongues Z9 in the connected belt or carrier are preferably arranged alternately at'opposite edges of the belt or carrier, as shown. The tongues Z2 strip 5 terminates in an inwardly extending cam projection, b rounded off and inclined rearwardly and forwardly, so that,

when tongue 6 of one section is inserted into the catch 12'", it will ride past and through said catch, until the projection has passed the catch, so as to be held in place by the latter. The catch 5 is made to have sufiicient resiliency to yield during this manipulation and will thereafter spring back to its original position to prevent accidental removal of the projection, but will yield sufliciently to permit the withdrawal of the-same, when asufiicient pull is applied to the tongue in withdrawing the same.

All of the detachable connections above described, in view of their arrangement as shown and the resiliency of their parts impart a sufficient amount of flexibility to the record carrier or belt at the lines of connectionto permit the said carrier to be coin-' pactly wound and unwound from the rollers a. This flexibility of the carrier is, moreover, increased where. the carrier sections are made from material having a certain degree of. pliability, such as thin cardboard,

leatherette, or textile material or combinations of the same. a

In Figure 4 I have represented one of the rollers or reels a andthe parallel composite carrier webs mounted thereon. Each of these carrier-webs is separatedfrom the ad jacent one andheld against lateral displacetionto each other, to make it possible to pre:

sent an entire class or group of such records at the inspection point or behind the display opening at one and the same time, by properly rotating the roller a. i r

By reference to Figures 4 to 6 it will be observed that the carrier sections 6 areprovided with lateral pockets D at each side edge, said pockets being formed by folding or bending a suitable width of the material of the section over upon itself as best shown in Figure7. These pockets are then divided intoa number of compartments (Z by lines of stitching. Thereby a number of record strips (Z (Z can be mounted on each section and secured against lateral or longitudinal movement by slipping their endsinto said compartments. Intermediate pockets D are also provided in some. instances, thereby enabling a number of record strips or cards to be mounted on the section in a transverse or lateral direction. These pockets may also be subdividedinto' a number of compartments 61 corresponding to the compartments (Z. y

In some cases the records or other indicia may be inscribed, marked or otherwise applied to the carrier sections 6 and in that case the pocketsmay be omitted. Or the two methods of applying records maybe combined, in which case the sections 6 may serve for the primary records and the record strips engaging the pockets for supplementary information or data to be consulted in connection with the primary records.

"In Figure 4 I have represented an example of arranging a group of records laterally or transversely across the series of carriers comprised in a record outfit embodying my invention. In this case the records are those-of the bookkeeping department of a mercantile house having customers in various parts of the country.

are grouped alphabetically according to the customers domiciles, and the records and entries for each customer extend transversely across the parallel series ofrecord carriers or belts B B B, so as to form a transverse or laterally arranged group. Since all the recordcarriers or belts B are mounted on the same roller (4, such transoccupy only one carrier sectionb' on each 'As shown in this figure, these records or entries belt B, as in the upper entries in Figure 4E,

or it may occupy'several sections 6 on each belt B, asindicated in the lower entries in saidfigure. c p r In the drawing I haveshown mechanism in illustration of the means for winding the record carrier or carriers from one roller wto the other and reversely, particular reference being made to Figures 1 and 4:. As shown part1cularly in Figure 1, the rollers or reels a are provided at one end with pulleys a, m respectively. Belts a 0; pass over the pulleys a and a respectively, and thence around the driving pulleys E E loosely mounted on the mainaxle E, which at the outside of the casin A is provided with a crank E The axle E isrotatably mounted in bearings e, e, and is capable of sliding 1 ,aoaooe longitudinally in these bearings, and the pulleys E E", are held against longitudinal displacement or shitting on the aXle E by dogs 6 e engaging annular grooves on the collars e 6 respectively, of said pulleys E -E-,'respectively. The dog 6 is mounted on and extends into the groove from a collar loosely encircling the main axle E and connected by the standard support 6 mounted on and secured to the bot tom of the casing'A' and extending upward therefrom. The dog 6 is similarly mounted on the bearing atthe right of Figure '3. Keyed or otherwise secured to the main axle, between the two pulleys is a clutchcollar e having serratedsurfaces at opposide sides, which is adapted to engage alternate-ly similar serrated surfaceson the clutch bosses e and 6 respectively, formed on the pulleys E and E respectively. The clutch collars being so spaced with respect to the said clutch-bosses, that when it is in engagement with one of these bosses, it is released from the other boss, and vice versa; In order'ito holdthe shalt 'Eagainst accidental longitudinal displacement. a s rin 'do r e mounted on the left hand bearing 0 extends forward'to engage,

either an annular groove 6 or the inner edge e of the collar 6 keyed to aXle'E. In the instanceshown, the axle being drawn outward, the dog a is represented as engaging the grooye 6 The pulley E is connected with the pulley a by'a crossedbelt'a while pulley E isconnected with the pulley a by a simple belt a? v J The operation of this record carrier windingand unwinding device is apparent from the foregoing. WVhen the axle E, shown in the drawn-out p'ositionindicated in Fig. 3, is thrust inward to the left, whereby the clutch-collar e is brought into engagement withlthe clutch-boss' e on pulley Efl'by turning the crank E in the usual direction, the said pulley, through belt a and pulley a causes the record-carrier or belt 'B 'to be wound on the right-'handrollera. To reverse the movement and to wind the carrier '3 on the roller a at the left in Fig. 1, the

axle E is drawn outward until the; clutchcollar e 'clears the clirtch bossje and enters into engagement with the clutch-boss e thespring-dog e being thereby causedjto slip'into groove and over the edge e of collar 5 By then-turning the crank in the same direction as'before; the record carrier'or belt B is reyersed and wound'on' the other roller a. In order tokeep' the record carrier or belt siiiiiciently taut during this winding and unwinding operation, brake rollers F, F are caused to bear on the surface of the reeled or wound upportions of the carriers, said rollers being mounted on springs f, f securedto the casingA A table or plate'H may be arranged below the openingor windowC, and that portion ofthe carrier B which lies between the idlers G, G; This table serves as a support for the carrier, when it is desired to make any entry or inscription on one of its" sectionss c In Figure 181 have represented; an office or library desk or table equipped with three record assembling outfits'ac-cording .to my 'invention.- These outfits may be arranged ea'ch i-or independent items of information,

and placed so, as to be manipulatedeach by a separate operatoiyor they may serve to receive and display interdependent'matters of information'and instruction and serving one general purpose, in which casethey may be incharge of a singleoperator. As seen in this figure, the record assemblingand displaying outfit A is arranged within. the

deskor table,'the cover c bein'g substantially fiush'with the top of the same, while the apparatus A is arranged. withina casing exa tending outwardly from the side of the table. The apparatus A is arrangedwithin a drawer,,mo.'unted in the table, which may be drawn out for use, or slid back intoithe table frame when not in use, so as to be out of the way. In this manner an assemblage of records suflicient for all bus ness purposes may be mounted'on, a deskor table, w thout .encumbering the same and consistent with using the top of the same for other business purposes. This result is materially contributed to by the flexibility of the record carriers and'the manner of mounting them according to my invention.

In Figure 4 I representanother example of a record inwhich thegroups'or classesare arrangedtransversely ofa series loi'par verse seri'es,a'nd in fixed relation with respect to" each" other, each section being independently detachable from the adjoining sectionsin the longitudinal-and in the transverse series.

2. In record asse nbling'and display device a plurality of record carriers arranged side by side, the records being arranged in laterally fixed relation to each other,so as to form groups or classes which extend laterally or transversely on said'plurality of carriers, in combination with means for to the display simultaneously shifting said record carriers longitudinally, to bring the desiredigroup or class of records to the inspection 'or display Jpoint.

n a record assemblingfor display de vice, a plurality of bands or webs provided with records and arranged slde by sideand all inounted on a single winding roller and on a single unwindingroller, the records on said bands being arranged in groups. or

classes extending transversely or laterally across the series of bands orwebs, in combination. with means for rotating said roller to bring the desired group or class of records to the inspection or display point.

4:. In a record assembling and display device, a system of detachable record-carry ing sections arranged in longitudinal and transverse series, each sectionbeing independently detachable from the V adjoining sections in the longitudinal and in the transverse series, .in combination with means for simultaneously shifting the longitudinal series longitudinally, and for preventing the separate shifting" of the said longitudinal series.

5. A record-carrier sectionprovided with a resilienttongue adapted to engage a catch on an adjoiningsection and with acatch to engage a resilienttongue on'an adjoining section. w a a H 6. A record-carrier. sectionprovided with a resilient tongue adapted to engage acatch on an adjoining section and a resilient catch toengage a tongueson an adjoining section.

7. A record carrier section provided at diagonally opposite. points with coupling devices adapted to engage adjoining sections, the two-remaining corners being provided with receivers for coupling devices of adjoining sections. a p

81A record carrier section provided at diagonally opposite corners with coupling tongues, thentwo remaining corners being provided-with catches for tongues of ad Joining sect1ons. a

9. A record carrier section provided at opposite edges with stilfeningstripasaid stiifening strips each terminatingfin a coupling device.

10. A. record carrier section provided at opposite edgeswith stifiening strips secured edwith pockets at its edges and with intermediate pockets, said pockets being adapt- "ed to receivethe ends of record strips or cards. 1 I

141. A record carrier section made of fiat material and provided with lateral pockets iorireceivingthe ends of removable record strips or cards. t 7

15. A record carrier section made of flat material and provided withipockets at the lateraledges and intermediate pockets, and

thereby adapted toreceivethe ends of a plurahty 0f removable record 7 strips or cards. 1'

16.*A record carrier or web comprising a plurality of record carrier sections, each of which :sections is removably connected to each adjoining section, eachsection being provided with lateral pockets. for receiving the ends of removable recordslips or cards.

17. A record carrier or web. comprising a plurality of record'carrier sections removably connected in. series. each section being formed of flat material bent over at the sides toit'orm lateralpockets to receive the ends of'removablerecord strips or cards. 7

18. A record carrier or web comprising a ably connected in series, eachgsection being formed withlateral pockets at the sides and with intermediate, pockets to receive the ends of a number of transversely arranged recordcards or strips.

If 19. In a recordistoringi and displayingi apparatus, a pair of rollers for carrying a plurality of record carrier sections removrecord-bearing web so as] to be unwound from one roller to-the other and vice versa,

in combination witha rotary and longitudi-i nally slidable axlaa pair of pulleys loosely mounted on said axle, coupling means mounted on theaxle for alternately engage ing one orthe other pulley, a connection between one of the pulleys'and one of the rollers arranged to drive-the roller inthe same direction as the axleand a connection between the other pulley and the other roller arrangedto drive it-in'the opposite.

direction. i a

20. In a recordstoring and displaying apparatus, a 'PELII of rollersvfor carrying a TGCOICl lIlGaIiHQ web so as. to be unwound from one rollerYont'o the" other and vice able axle, in combinationwith a pair of pulleys loosely mounted-on .the axle and 'provided with clutch-bosses facing one another, a simple belt connecting one of the pulleys Withone of the rollers and a crossed belt connecting the other pulley with the other roller, and a clutch-collarmounted on the axle between the two clutch-bosses and so spaced as to be in engagement with only one of. the clutch-bosses at one time. i

21. A web or belt for displaying records or. other indicia, and a pair of rollers over versa,"and a rotary and longitudinally slidbetween the slidable axle and the means for separately operating each roller, so arranged that one or the other of the rolleroperating means is actuated according to the longitudinal crank-axle. V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

STEPHEN OLOP.

position of the slidable 10 /Vitnesses:

H. C. ROBE, O. H. WAGNER. 

